


Dinner For Two

by FanficsbyVe



Category: Undertale (Video Game)
Genre: F/F, F/M, Fluff, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-11-29
Updated: 2015-11-29
Packaged: 2018-05-03 23:33:15
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,564
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5311295
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FanficsbyVe/pseuds/FanficsbyVe
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Asgore and Toriel have dinner together to talk about their history as a married couple and their divorce. Sort-of ToriGorey, some Undyne/Alphys refs. One-shot.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Dinner For Two

“I must be crazy.”

The white, unusual creature said this loud enough that several monsters and humans alike turned to look at her. She could feel embarrassment take hold of her and quickly looked away at nothing in particular, reminding herself not to say her thoughts out loud in public. Not that it changed her opinion on the current matter at all.

Toriel couldn’t believe she had been talked into this. She had already had a hard time swallowing it when she suddenly received a text message from Asgore. Her ex-husband of several years now had asked her if she was perhaps willing to have dinner with him sometime in the near-future, so the two of them could talk about what had happened between them. 

Her kneejerk response had been anything but positive. Her fingers had instantly flown to the keys to ask him why he thought she’d want that, what he was thinking and how he even got her number. She had been even less pleased when the answers contained the words “closure”, “shared history” and “Papyrus”. Either way, her answer to his question was a giant, resounding “no”. 

It would’ve ended there, had it not been for Frisk and Sans. For reasons she couldn’t possibly conceive, they insisted she should go. They put emphasis on the fact it likely took him a lot of courage to ask this of her. They even suggested that perhaps, this would make things easier for everyone since she couldn’t exactly avoid her ex seeing how they shared the same group of friends. It was better if there was at least a truce and most importantly, maybe she could get some terrible things off her chest too.

That last one was what finally motivated her to send Asgore another text. She told him she had changed her mind and that she was indeed willing to have one final dinner, but only on the condition he’d never ask her again. He had readily agreed to those terms and a few messages back and forward later, they had settled on a restaurant, time and place. 

So here she was now, waiting at the entrance of a decent French restaurant, and literally wanting to be anywhere else in the world but here. Of course, she knew it wouldn’t be very mature to hail the nearest cab and make a break for it. It’d be a lousy thing to do for anyone involved and after surviving the cruel machinations of Flowey, she figured she should be able to put up with her ex for a few hours. They were both adults, right?

Sure enough, she soon found herself facing the man in question. He looked him up and down, not quite sure how to respond. It was with some measure of relief that she noted he seemed incredibly nervous too. He was fidgeting and staring at his shoes, tugging nervously at the obviously old dinner jacket that she remembered from when they were still married. He clearly wanted to make a good impression, but he looked just about ready to run away too.

“Hey Tori…”

Her displeased look at the nickname quickly had him change his tune. “Toriel. Sorry.”

He stepped up to her and he stopped halfway into a hug. She could see the gears in his mind turning and she too was wondering how to great him. A handshake seemed too formal and distant. A hug and a kiss on the cheek seemed far too friendly. No one in the world had apparently bothered to lay out a clear protocol for interacting with the ex-spouse. In the end, they both seemed to give up on any greeting at all. Asgore smiled awkwardly.

“I…I’m glad you really came.”

She nodded quietly, fighting a blush of shame. So he had actually expected her to leave him hanging… She quickly recovered, deciding to stay professional.

“Yes, I did… Shall we go in?”

He eagerly heeded that suggestion. They both stepped inside the nice, warm atmosphere of the restaurant and she stood by as he mentioned the reservation to the server. He nodded in confirmation and led them to their table. After giving them his name and noting their orders for drinks, he handed them a menu card and went off, leaving them in awkward silence.

Deciding to be a big girl, Toriel figured she should cut to the chase immediately. Asgore was never a very assertive man. If this were left to him, he would probably be content to have this entire dinner without saying a word. So, as always, it was left to her to get this party started, even if this situation was anything but.

“So…you want to talk about what happened back then?”

Her ex-husband nearly jumped, before sitting up straight. “Ah y-yes. I do. The way things ended… It wasn’t that great…”

She let out a soft huff. “That’s one way of putting it.”

Toriel almost instantly regretted it, as she could see him flinch at that remark. She sighed to herself. She should really lay off on the venom. After all, she was here to reach a ceasefire of sorts, not to put him on trial. 

So she sat back, forcing herself to breathe calmly. She should let him talk first, let him have his say. Then she could have hers and hopefully be done by the main course and everyone could be on their way again. Asgore seemed to sense this and after nervously looking over the menu card, he finally opened his mouth.

“I just want you to know… I didn’t kill any of those other children, Tori…el. I never even intended to and they…never even got far enough…”

She cringed at hearing that, but kept her cool. “I know. You don’t have it in you to kill innocent people. You never did…”

He looked her over, seemingly surprised. “So…you knew I didn’t mean it back then? What I decreed when Asriel and Chara died?”

Before she could respond, the server came back to take their order. They quickly gave him their choice for an appetizer and main course, eager for him to leave again. Thankfully, he seemed to notice and quickly made himself scarce. Even so, Toriel was grateful for getting an extra few minutes to put her thoughts into words. 

“I did. But I still didn’t like hearing those words out of your mouth. It was not the man I once fell in love with. Then you refused to go back after making that decision and I didn’t want any part of it.”

Asgore sighed, staring at the table. “I wasn’t myself back then. We lost both our children in one day. I was angry …”

Toriel fought to keep from glaring. “I understand you were grieving back then, Asgore. So was I. They were my children too. But I couldn’t live with how you responded to it…”

She could hear him nervously drum his fingers against the table. “I did what I thought was best at the time… Even though I know now I was wrong…” 

Even though she understood where he came from and wasn’t trying to assuage his own guilt, the female monster could feel herself getting angry again. She reached out for her glass of water, taking a few sips in order to keep her cool. After setting it down again, she did her best to gather her thoughts before responding.

“War with the humans wouldn’t have brought our children back. And then, you didn’t even commit to that. You just waited, left everyone to suffer in the underground and just hoped you wouldn’t ever have to get blood on your hands, because you were too proud to admit a mistake. How could I stand by that?”

As those words left her mouth, a cold silence settled over the table. Inwardly, Toriel was seething. They were at an impasse and she knew it. She could argue her point over and over and so could he, but it would get neither of them anywhere. The urge to grab her phone and call a cab was immense. She knew this was all a waste of time.

This uncomfortable quiet hadn’t dissipated by the time the server delivered their appetizer. Both managed to deliver him a grateful smile and while he returned it, he seemed to realize the conversation had gone sour. He quickly put their plates on the table and disappeared. 

Toriel picked up her fork and poked at her food. Es-car-go, she recalled the server had pronounced it, though it had a “t” written at the end of it. Fifteen minutes ago, she had been elated to see that there were some humans that apparently ate snail dishes too, but by now her appetite was nowhere to be found.

For once, she and Asgore’s sentiments were on the same page. Her ex was just staring at his bisque, almost as if he expected it to come alive and attack him. In the end, the one-sided battle of wills with West-European soup didn’t yield anything. He leaned his arms onto the table, only to jump when it started to topple slightly under his weight. He quickly pulled back, before looking her in the face.

“Toriel… I understand you’re still mad at me. I don’t blame you for leaving. But I also can’t change what I did back then anymore.”

She looked up from trying to impale the snails, trying her best to hide her surprise. So Asgore no longer held her divorcing him against her. That was definitely new. Still, he was right. They couldn’t change the past anymore. 

“…I know. But is there really any point to us sitting here and talking about it then?” 

He swallowed, looking sadder than she had ever seen him. “I also don’t want us to be like this. Barely tolerating each other when we’re in the same room visiting our friends. Even if we’re no longer married and you don’t seem to like me very much anymore…I…I still care about you…”

Another heavy sigh escaped Toriel’s mouth. As much as she hated it, he was right. Their grudge was still at the surface of their every interaction and it wasn’t exactly like they barely saw each other. Even if they tried their best to be civil, she noticed how especially little Frisk would tense up as they exchanged so much as a greeting and the others also seemed ill at ease. Perhaps it would be better to at least bury the hatchet for their sake. Still, he was wrong on one thing.

“I don’t hate you, Asgore. We were married for two decades. Happily married too. You can’t stop caring about someone that easily after such a long time…”

For a moment, she could see her former husband perk up at that. Still, he quickly seemed to realize she was watching him. He quickly readjusted, trying his best to sound more nonchalant. 

“Oh… Well, that’s something, I suppose…”

Despite the tension, Toriel couldn’t help but chuckle a little at seeing him like that. “And you’re still a dork.”

She saw how he turned red at that, taking a few spoonfuls of soup to strike an attitude. “Yeah…always was… What did you see in me anyway?”

The female monster followed his example and started eating as well, delighted by the taste. “Well, I used to like that about you. Most other guy monsters in college were way too full of themselves. You were the one that actually cared enough to learn about me before asking me on a date…”

“But I really messed up sometimes though. Remember when I tried to take you to the park to see an outdoor screening of Bloodsuckers vs Wolfmen? The weather ended up being terrible and I accidentally spilled my drink all over your shirt…”

She giggled, remembering it all too well. “Yeah, but the movie was fun. And you leant me your jacket when I had to get rid of the shirt. We also had our first kiss that night, under an umbrella we bought off some shady vendor.”

By now, Asgore actually dared to laugh. “Good times.”

Toriel found herself smiling as well, if only for the memories. “And then there was the time we went to the spa together. We had lunch right before we went into the pool, tired ourselves trying to swim and then had a competition to see who lasted the longest in the ice bath. We were going to eat out that night, but we just passed out on the couch the moment we got home from all the self-inflicted abuse.”

She was laughing loudly by now and her ex happily joined her. The unease of before seemed forgotten. All of a sudden, this dinner didn’t seem so much of a mistake as it did before. 

“You go, boss!”

A familiar voice suddenly pulled her from her reverie. She jerked up, only to see that Asgore had picked up on it too. Both looked around, thoroughly aware that this voice had no place being there. 

Finally, a vague teal and scaly shape with a mane of red caught their attention in a corner. It was unsuccessfully hiding behind a large plant, a yellow eye occasionally peering out from behind the foliage. Toriel huffed and Asgore imitated the sound. He moved his seat back and gave her an apologetic look. 

“Excuse me for a moment.”

With those words, he paced over towards the decorative flora. He crossed his arms. He then spoke and his voice reminded her very much of the times when he called out Asriel or Chara on doing something naughty. 

“Undyne, please stop spying on us! I know you’re worried about me, but this is going too far!”

The plant was raised off the ground somewhat. “I’m not Undyne! I’m a potted plant!”

Even though she couldn’t see his face, Toriel could tell he was rolling his eyes. “Nice try. Now go home. Else I’m going to call Papyrus…and ask him to take you bowling and make his signature spaghetti!”

“Oh, I would love to make you guys spaghetti!”

Toriel jumped once more. That was another voice that definitely shouldn’t be here tonight. Except this time, it came from behind a nearby statue. Almost immediately, she could hear Undyne yell in frustration. 

“Darn it, Papyrus! You just blew our cover!”

She could hear Asgore let out the world’s most tired sigh. “Okay, who else is here?”

Despite Undyne’s angry glare, Papyrus readily answered. “Well, Sans and Frisk are under that table over there! And Alphys is the overhead chandelier! Clever, isn’t it?”

“Papyrus!”

Almost immediately, Alphys’s head popped out of the chandelier and she waved awkwardly. At the same time, the tablecloth of the next table over was lifted and the female monster’s gaze was met with a smiling Sans and Frisk. The mother in her let out a shocked sound and she hurried over.

“Frisk! What are you doing here? It’s way past your bedtime! And Sans, you were supposed to watch them!”

Sans grinned. “Yeah, but this was way more fun. Besides, I had a craving for hors d’oeuvres!”

Toriel wasn’t sure whether she wanted to laugh or groan. She knew why they were here and part of her was touched. Yet at the same time, their presence was hardly conductive for some grownup conversations. She gave them a smile but kept a stern voice.

“I really appreciate what you’re trying to do, but Asgore and I really need to talk about this by ourselves. Don’t worry about us, we’ll stay civil.”

She turned to her ex-husband for support and much to her relief, he nodded and smiled. “She’s right, guys. Off you go. We’ll see you tomorrow.”

Finally, Undyne appeared from behind the plotted plant, playfully blowing them a raspberry. “Alright, everyone. I think we should go then. Papyrus, get the car. Sans, stop stealing the leftovers on those plates. Frisk, get your coat. Alphys, you can kill the hidden camera in the candle. The jig is up.”

With those words, everyone popped out of their hiding places. They waved them off, wishing them luck, yet without so much as an apology. They headed to the reception area, arguing all the way.

“So…that didn’t go well…”

“Well, guess who’s fault that is, Papyrus!”

“But Undyne, you talked too…”

“I was throwing them off our scent, Alphys! I’m good like that!”

“Meh, never mind guys. We tried. Besides, a night of being lazy, eating nachos and watching cartoons sounds great to me too!”

“Can it be anime? There is this lovely series I wanted to introduce you guys to and…”

“Sounds great, Alphys! And afterwards…”

“Shame on you two! There is a child with us!”

“Bro, Frisk doesn’t even understand. Alright everyone, back to Toriel’s place!”

Toriel watched them go with Asgore beside her. It was only when they left that they dared to grin. They walked back to their table and sat back down, though Asgore made it a point to switch their candle with one of the empty table beforehand. She smiled at him, finishing the rest of her food.

“They do really mean well.”

He nodded. “Yeah, I know. I guess we just have great friends…”

She put aside her empty plate. “That we do… So, where were we?”

He thought for a moment, before remembering with a smile. “The college days.”

The rest of the dinner went by remarkably peaceful. Toriel realized she had fun reliving some old memories with her ex-husband. Some were embarrassing. Some, particularly those of Asriel and Chara, still made them cry even now. Yet as they went on, she realized most of them had indeed been good. 

She found it was also nice to see Asgore like this again. Over the years, she mostly remembered the last year and how depressed and unapproachable he’d become. Seeing him smile and be happy reminded her of the old days, of how he was when she first fell in love with him. It felt odd to recall those feelings, but then, she had not lied when she told him that it was hard to lose your feelings for someone entirely.

The both of them talked well into the night, actually going through the whole dinner complete with dessert and coffee. When they did finally leave the restaurant, she had to admit the mood was a lot better than it was coming in and it had nothing to do with the single bottle of wine they had shared between the two of them. Out there on the sidewalk, she gave him a pleasant smile. 

“Thanks, Asgore, for inviting me. You were right. I think we both really needed it.”

She swore she could see her ex blush. “You’re welcome. It was nice talking to each other like this again and sort things out somewhat.”

She couldn’t exactly disagree with that. “We should do this again sometime.”

For a moment, she could see surprise flash across his face, before grinning. “Oh… Oh. Yeah, sure. Sure, I wouldn’t mind.”

She shook her head in amusement, before holding out her arms. Before, she hadn’t really wanted to touch him. But now, a friendly hug seemed appropriate. Asgore answered it awkwardly, not sure whether to be glad with the change or confused by it. Still, he quickly adapted.

“Have a nice night, Asgore.”

Suddenly, she noticed his snout against her forehead, in a friendly nuzzle. “See you around, Tori.”

She didn’t think to correct him on the nickname again as they finally parted, not feeling the need. She watched him walk off and halt the nearest cab. Soon, he had found one and he waved at her one last time before getting in. She waved back and soon watched the yellow car disappear into traffic.

Toriel stood there for a moment, lost in her thoughts. It took her several minutes before she finally moved. She turned to the sidewalk, looking for her own transport back home. It didn’t take long to find it and as she got into the cab ad told the driver where to go, she looked at the window, mulling about the night’s events.

It had been good to see Asgore again. She hadn’t expected to end up feeling that way, but now, she was glad she had listened to her friends and not shot down his suggestion. There were still some feelings of affection left between them and it was good to deal with the wounds of the past. She did indeed love him once and they both did well to treat each other with the dignity they deserved because of it.

She leaned back into the seat, letting out a contented sigh. She had no idea where their relationship would go from here, but she figured it would be better than where they started off tonight. For now, that was good enough. Any step forward was good enough.

That thought was indeed a happy one and she smiled. She looked at the road, recognizing the neighborhood. Soon, she would be back home and she was sure everyone was waiting for her there. No doubt they were dying to hear how the dinner went. She would tell them of course, but only after giving especially Sans an earful about slacking off on babysitting duties.


End file.
